NO EXIT: The Trammel Crow Project in the Oxford Triangle
By Barbara
Eisenberg
In spite of and in the faces
of approximately 260 Venice residents, the Grass Roots Venice Land Use and
Planning Committee, for the most part, temporarily delayed the proposed monster
construction planned for 3224/3226 Thatcher Avenue and 3221 Carter Avenue in the
Oxford Triangle.
This project, for which Trammel Crow (a
huge commercial real estate services development company) has not yet acquired
the property, would be 375,000 square feet, of a French Vocabulary design on 5.8
acres. It would be a two to four story, multi-family facility with 670 parking
spaces. The suggested rents of the luxury units would be from $1800 to $3700 per
month. The traffic pattern would be directed through the completely residential
Triangle to Washington Boulevard.
I
spite of the fact that the Oxford Triangle Specific Plan was set up to not allow
any increase in traffic through this area, the developer attempted to ignore
this.
Since the residents of Venice are
referred to as an "audience" at these meetings, tempers flared and many persons
showed great frustration, with frequent
outbursts.
Unfortunately, this
"audience" title which has been put on the residents, creates an air that those
who "should" be making the decisions are all but excluded by the "Royal" flavor
the board has imparted upon itself. "Thou Shalt Not Speak Unless Spoken to
First."
In spite of a very poorly
estimated traffic study, by Crane and Associates, which shows an increase from
110 trips through the Oxford Triangle to 185 trips, just in the morning. With
this addition of 298 units some with three bedrooms (which in some cases would
probably house at least three roommates with an automobile each) somehow seems
flawed in correspondence to the fact that there are presently 367 singe-family
dwellings in the entire Triangle. This traffic study claims that there would be
"no significant impact of traffic on side
streets."
Other outlandish suggestions
from the developer to reduce auto traffic through the neighborhood were to
provide free bicycles for the residents of the project to use for grocery
shopping or to ride to work, and have plans to make arrangements with delivery
providers, such as UPS, FedEx, and USPS, to coordinate and make one delivery
time.
One has to take a deep breath,
here, to try to imagine someone who can afford a $3,700 rent even considering
riding a bicycle to run errands or go to work. This type of person would most
probably drive a very expensive car and want to be seen in it. This type of
person would, also, most likely, have a maid or housekeeper, bringing more
traffic through the side
streets.
Sadly, the Los Angeles City
Planning Department has checked off the traffic increase as having "no impact"
on the neighborhood.
Beyond all this,
the Board hastily approved to send the plan back to the developers until such
time as they would find a way to redirect the traffic routes to Lincoln
Boulevard instead of through the Triangle to Washington
Boulevard.
After the extensive
presentations had taken up one hour and forty-five, since Darryl Dufay, the Land
Use and Planning Committee Chairperson, began the meeting late, an announcement
came over the loud speaker to clear the room. Not many people, it seemed, heard
Dufay tell the Board that in order to accommodate the architects and developers,
he would "meet with them on the curb, if necessary."
As a result, almost everyone left,
except for about ten individuals who noticed the Board convening in the parking
area. In this new location they continued to hear presentations for 1210/1212
Abbot Kinney Boulevard, which they approved and 1345 Abbot Kinney Boulevard,
which they also approved. More artist-in-residence units and 4000 square foot
units and residential over commercial
units.
In spite of the rules of the
Ralph M. Brown Act, GRVNC continues to flagrantly do as they please and not
follow those rules as it suits
them.
One of the biggest violations of
the Brown Act is to not find enough time to allow for public comment or input on
any subject on the agenda. The Trammel Crow Project had 90 "speaker cards"
submitted of which a "yes" or a "no" was allowed with 100% opining a negative
choice, while the Board only requested a change of traffic
flow.
The movement of the meeting to a
parking lot and then refusing to allow the female members of the community to
make comments after three and one half hours of patience, while chatting up male
persons is an outrage.
This is a grave
lack of respect for the community and citizens of Venice at
large.
In spite of GRVNC's own Policy:
"to RESPECT the Community Stakeholders as the ultimate authority and controlling
force of GRVNC. To respect the autonomy of all individuals, groups, and
organizations within the community."
In
spite of...
Posted: Tue - July 1, 2003 at 07:15 PM